Sentibug
by The Alkazarian Emperor
Summary: Watching the pain and fear in her eyes as Mayura forcibly erased her from existence was something that was going to stay with Adrien for a long time... In a world where "Ladybug" comes after the S3 finale.
1. Chapter 1

**Sentibug**

Avenging an unlucky monster.

To think it all started with an Eiffel Tower keychain. Just a simple silver trinket, probably costing nothing more than pocket change.

Too bad it couldn't stay that way.

Adrien twirled the trinket around his finger as he walked out of his room. After yesterday's photoshoot with Lila, and his demand to fix the mess she created for Marinette, he had secretly transformed and doubled back to go retrieve the item Mayura's Amuk possessed.

"What are you even doing with that thing, Adrien?" Plagg asked, zipping through the air around Adrien's head. "You and Ladybug beat that thing, why bother carrying some random piece of garbage around?"

Adrien leveled a glare at the Kwami. "Don't call her a thing, Plagg. She deserves to exist just as much as the rest of us."

To say he was mad was an understatement. Adrien was _livid._ Watching the pain and fear in Sentibug's eyes as Mayura forcibly erased her from existence was something that haunted Adrien all night. In fact, that was the majority of the reason that he even went back for the charm in the first place.

"I'm just saying kid, you should be focusing on something more tangible. Something like that cheese you promised me last night that I never got." Adrien could feel the dirty look Plagg was boring into the back of his head. "Besides, if you keep being angry at something you couldn't stop, Hawkmoth might try to Akumatize you."

Fat chance of that, he'd actively been trying all night. _Getting sentimental over a Sentimonster?_

"Yeah I know. I can only steal so much from the kitchen at a time you know." Adrien responded, shaking his head back to reality. Plagg floated off somewhere behind him when they reached the top of the main staircase. Natalie and his Father were standing at the open front door talking to themselves. Adrien leaned on the railing, silent and unnoticed.

"The meeting should only be a few hours, stop worrying about me Gabriel." Natalie said quietly to her boss. Adrien mildly wondered when she went from _Mr. Agreste_ to _Gabriel_ so smoothly as she had.

"Take care of yourself, Natalie." His father replied. "You're an important asset to this company. I can't afford to lose you at this stage."

Gabriel put a hand on her shoulder for a moment before turning and closing the front door behind him. Adrien and Natalie watched out the window as Gorilla opened the car door for Gabriel before climbing in himself and driving off. The assistant sighed as she turned her attention to her tablet and walked towards the staircase.

Adrien met her halfway, hand on his hip. Natalie looked up in surprise at the teenager standing a few steps above her. "Adrien. I thought you were doing your homework."

"My father going somewhere important?" Adrien asked, standing tall and looking down at her over his nose.

"He'll be across town at an important company meeting. He needs to be there in person for this one." Natalie replied, before coughing a few times into her elbow. "I'm serious Adrien, you need to be doing your homework."

Adrien smirked. He pointed at the door to his father's office. "So no one will be in his office for a while then? Since he's not in the house right now."

"That would be the process of events, yes." The older woman replied. "Wait, what are you doing?"

Adrien walked past her, twirling Sentibug's charm on his finger once again. Natalie did a double take at seeing the charm. Walking to the door without a word, Adrien opened it and glanced over his shoulder. His green eyes shimmered with an emotion that Natalie was unfamiliar with seeing on the boy.

"Move and I'll break your legs."

Fear ran down Natalie's spine as Adrien turned and entered the office. Never in her life would she have expected him to say that to anyone, much less her. The charm on his finger had already put her on edge, the tone in his voice just made her knees feel weak and wobble. Why did he have that charm, certainly he never had time to go and buy it on his own. And the one she had made the Sentimonster with was still on the top of that building. So there's no way, he couldn't possibly have it unless-

Her blood ran cold. Gabriel had been right, Adrien _was_ Chat Noir. That means if he was in Gabriel's office alone while Hawkmoth himself wasn't home….

_Duusu!_

Natalie lurched forward, she had to get that Miraculous before Adrien could. Everything Gabriel had worked for would be for nothing if she didn't. The woman ran through the doorway, turning just in time to see something being thrown at her head. She put her hands in front of her eyes, catching whatever it was Adrien had thrown. Looking down, her hand held a small green pin in the shape of a peacock's feathers.

That can't be right.

"Adrien what's going on?" Natalie cried, her gaze leveling on the young model.

Said model was currently throwing things over his shoulder from inside the safe. When the only things left inside were the Miraculous book and the photo of his mother, he swore to himself under his breath.

"Figures he'd keep _that_ one on him." Adrien ran a hand through his hair and scratched the back of his head. "Oh well, you win some you lose some."

The boy turned back to Natalie and glared at her. Pulling the charm out of his pocket, he threw it straight up into the air. With a simple command, black energy swirled around him as his transformation took hold. Chat Noir held out his palm, Sentibug's charm landing in his hand.

"Transform Natalie. I'm going to drag your face across this whole mansion, and then you're going to bring her back." Chat Noir spun his baton and placed it along his shoulder blades.

"And if I refuse?" Natalie asked, clutching the miraculous to her chest and taking a step back.

"Then I follow through with my threat, break every bone in your legs, and then make you transform anyway." Emerald green eyes stared deep into her soul. "I promise you, bringing her back makes this a lot less painful for you."

Natalie stared down at the miraculous in her hand. Surely Gabriel hadn't gotten too far by now. She could call him and then both of them could take down Chat Noir. Of course, while she was calling Hawkmoth, the boy in front of her could just as easily call Ladybug. Then she and a swarm of authorities would show up and ruin everything. But if _she_ could take care of him herself, then that could be avoided just as easily.

She grabbed her glasses and ripped them off her face, throwing them to the side. Chat Noir remained unmoving, staring straight ahead.

"DUUSU, SPREAD MY FEATHERS!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's****Note:**

_See Bottom_

Her mind was in a fog, glazed over and confused. It was like waking up from a dream while under anesthesia. The girl had no sense of identity. At least, none she could remember. Vague images and blurred outlines filled her memory. It took everything she had not to fade into the abyss.

What seemed to her like years passed before her mind cleared enough to remember anything. Mayura's outstretched hand snapped its fingers on a permanent loop, like a video buffering on the internet. She remembered how every fiber of her being seared as it was turned into smoke with the destruction of her Amok. The fear of being erased coursed through her veins as she fell to her knees.

The more her mind processed the information, the clearer it became. A few moments after her last moments replayed in her mind, she could feel a solid form. The ground beneath her pressed against the bottom of her feet. Two voices carried over from across the room, making her jump.

Her eyes opened wide, lungs filling with air. Before her, Chat Noir was standing on Mayura's back, weight shifted to the foot he planted on the back of the purple-haired woman's head. The blonde looked up to meet her eyes, a smile stretching his lips. He jumped off Mayura, bounding up to stand in front of the girl. "Sentibug, you're back! That's amazing."

"Chat Noir? What's going on here? I thought Mayura destroyed my Amok." She held her hands in front of her face, studying them.

"She did, Ladybug and I watched it fly into the wind." Chat Noir leaned on his baton like a cane, hips cocked and grin wide. "Good thing I know where Mayura sleeps."

A groan came from the villainess behind him. Sentibug and Chat Noir both looked on as the battered woman tried to get to her feet. Chat absentmindedly twirled his baton and stepped up to Mayura. The woman glared up at him from her place on her knees. A weak punch was batted away by the teen's baton. His other hand grabbed the Miraculous pinned to her coat and pulled it off her.

"No more evil-doing for you, little peacock." Chat Noir quipped as her transformation fell. Nathalie fell to the floor, panting for breath. The boy tilted his head and looked at the Peacock Miraculous with pursed lips. "Nah, it doesn't sound as good if Milady doesn't say it. Oh well."

"This isn't over, Adrien. Your father will be back eventually." Nathalie said as she sucked in a breath. "You'll have to kill me if you don't want your father to know you're Chat Noir."

Chat let out a full-blown laugh and tossed the miraculous over his shoulder at Sentibug without looking. The Sentimonster gasped as she dove for it, sliding on her knees to keep it from hitting the floor. A sigh passed her lips and her shoulders sagged as she brought the Miraculous to her chest. A chuckle brought her attention back to the black-clad superhero.

"They're unbreakable you know." Chat Noir said over his shoulder. "My Cataclysm is the only thing that can destroy the Miraculous, short of throwing them into a volcano."

"Don't ignore me, Adrien, I know you can hear me." Nathalie snapped, getting a hand under her body to roll over on her back with a groan. "Gabriel will get that back, and he will take your Miraculous while he's at it."

"Go ahead." Chat Noir looked down at his father's assistant with a grin. He bent low and crouched next to her head. A finger wagged in front of her eyes before adjusting her glasses. "See, he can't keep being Hawkmoth if he's in jail. I could care less if he tells the world his son is Chat Noir. I'll just say I know exactly who Hawkmoth is."

He stood and walked over to Sentibug. Grabbing her hand, he led both of them out the door and left the beaten woman behind them. His transformation dropped, letting Plag float in his face. "What the hell are you doing?"

Adrien grinned, pulling Sentibug up the stairs towards his room. "Just taking half the manpower away from our enemies."

"You know that isn't what I meant, kid." Plagg blocked Adrien from grabbing the doorknob to his room. "Using your ability and taking on Mayra alone was completely irresponsible!"

"I'm well aware of that, now move." Adrien swatted the Kwami aside and twisted the knob. "You could use the Snake Miraculous a hundred times, I'd still do this over again."

Sentibug leaned against the back of Adrien's couch as the model tore through his closet. Clothes flew over his shoulders as his hands ripped them off their hangers. She could hear Adrien and his Kwami bickering about something quietly. Her attention went down to the Miraculous in her hands, thumbs brushing the surface slightly.

"Here, throw these on."

She looked up in time for a red sweatshirt and blue jeans to hit her square in the face. The clothes fell into her arms while Sentibug shook her head. "Gee, thanks for that."

"You're welcome, now hurry and get dressed," Adrien said as he bounced on the soles of his feet. "We can worry about your mask later, but people can't see you looking like Ladybug in public."

She tilted her head, stepping into the jeans. Her slim frame easily fit into them, the sweatshirt going on just as easily. "You aren't going to tell Ladybug about me coming back?"

"I knew they'd look great on you," Adrien said as he stepped forward and fixed the strings on the hoodie. "As for Ladybug, she's got a lot on her plate right now. Being forced into Guardianship isn't exactly easy on anyone, much less a fourteen-year-old girl."

"So what now, you know who Hawkmoth is, right? Just take him down." Sentibug put her hands in the sweatshirt pocket. "You didn't need to bring me back for that."

Adrien walked over to the window and opened it as wide as it would go. "No, I didn't. But I wouldn't live with myself if I didn't at least try. Now let's get out of here before my father actually does show up."

Adrien crossed the room again to his bed and got to his knees. Reaching underneath, he pulled out a black backpack with green highlights. He threw it over his shoulder before grabbing the stash of cheese from one of his cabinets. With a few words, he made Plagg wizz back into the ring. Green light flooded the room for a moment before Chat Noir stood where Adrien had been a moment ago.

"Where are we going?" Sentibug asked, jumping out of the window after Chat. The two landed on the roof across the street from the Agreste estate. The cat-themed superhero merely shrugged before traversing the rooftops. Lest she fall too far behind, Sentibug took off in a run after him. She clipped the Miraculous on her sweatshirt to free up her hand.

A white ball floated next to her head as Duusu floated along behind her. The purple Kwami blinked to get used to her surroundings before letting out a high pitched squeal. "A new friend? Woohoo! My name is Duusu, what's yours?"

The girl looked out over Paris, teeth gnawing on her bottom lip. "Chat Noir called me Sentibug earlier. I suppose that's fitting. After all, I'm just a Sentimonster made in the real Ladybug's image."

Chat's cat ears twitched. He slowed his run until he and Sentibug were standing still on a sloped building. Chat leaned against a chimney, arms crossed, eyes trained on the setting sun. In the twilight, his golden hair shined and emerald eyes softened. His eyes met hers. "Just a Sentimonster? You aren't real simply because Ladybug already exists?"

The warmth and playfulness of his voice had vanished, she noticed. Something different had taken hold of him. She took a step forward and placed her hands together on her chest. "Doesn't it, though? I'm just the pale imitation. Break some stupid trinket and the real thing will swoop in and set everything right."

"You know Ladybug gave you the opportunity to be your own person." His belt tail swished and wrapped around one of his legs. "She won't purify your Amok."

"She may not, but there's still the Guardian out there." Sentibug's voice cracked. "I may not know everything but some information still carried over when Mayura created me."

"I thought I told you, Ladybug is the Guardian now." Chat smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to worry about that."

A siren from a police car pierced the evening dusk. The two turned their heads in that direction and walked to the edge of the building. Sentibug pulled her yoyo out from her jeans. "Do you think it's an Akuma?"

"Nah," Chat Noir put his hands behind his head and twisted his torso back and forth. "Father may pretend he doesn't care about Nathalie, but he does."

"So, what? We gonna go take care of regular police business now?" Sentibug held her hand out wide towards the city.

"We? Last I checked you were your own person." Chat smacked her back. "Go do whatever you want. This life is yours now."

Sentibug brought a hand to her face and rubbed her eyes. "You'd let me just walk away?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Chat tilted his head, much like a real kitten. "I can't force you to do anything."

"You don't have my Amok?" She asked.

"Nope." Chat said with a popping sound. A finger pointed at her sweatshirt. "You do."

She looked down at her chest, where the Peacock Miraculous lay pinned to the material. Her head snapped back up to look at Chat midjump as he landed on a building across the street. He turned to her and gave her a two-finger salute. Her jaw dropped as Chat bounded away, leaving her standing with a giggling Duusu floating around her head. The purple Kwami bopped her on the nose with its stubby little arms and twirled in a spiral.

"So, what do we do now?"

**Author's****Note:**

_Emperor:__ Hey guys! Sorry, this has been so long. I let this whole season pass me by while I was busy working. ^_^' I wrote the first chapter of this story in the middle of my shift, so I apologize for anything that went wrong. That being said, this is just something for me to just get in the hang of writing again. It's been, oh, four or five years since Unbroken hit the flames of procrastination? Maybe I should give Umbra a call, see how he's been. Anyway, hope you enjoyed chapter 2. I'll see you next time._


	3. Chapter 3

The wind rushed through Chat Noir's hair as he sprinted along the rooftops towards his father's estate. He glanced behind him to make sure the spotted Sentimonster was nowhere behind him. Getting the Peacock Miraculous from Nathalie had been one thing, the girl could barely hold herself up to fight him. Her defeat came far quicker than he had expected, even with the use of his Cataclysm. Now that Sentibug had the Miraculous far away, Chat could focus on fighting his father.

The police lights and sirens continued ahead of him, illuminating the night sky. The hero shook his head, setting his stare toward the looming residence of Paris' supervillain. He ground his teeth and swallowed the frog caught in his throat. Chat landed on the rooftop across from his home. Below, his father was screaming at the group of policemen scattered about his property. Chat watched as Nathalie was brought out on a gurney and loaded into the back of an ambulance. Gabriel straightened out his jacket, took a breath, and walked with an officer into the building.

A crowd of people gathered behind the barricades to look at the commotion. Chat could see Alya and Nino in the crowd talking to each other with wide eyes. Alya was pulling on Nino's arm, preventing him from climbing the barricade. Chat could see the fear in his best friend's eyes from where he stood. He leaned against the chimney stack and dropped his transformation. Plagg hovered off to the side while Adrien pulled out his cell from his pocket. He hit the call button.

"C'mon, Nino. Answer your phone." Adrien watched as Nino glanced down into his hand. The DJ's eyes widened and wrenched the phone up to his ear so Alya could hear too.

"Adrien, where the hell are you?" Nino's voice cracked. "Your father's assistant just got sent to the hospital."

"I heard." Adrien scanned the faces of everyone down below. From where he was standing, Marinette was nowhere he could see. A glance of the rooftops around him showed no sign of her spotted alter ego either. "Do you know what happened to her?"

The couple shared a glance. "D-Dude, listen. Your dad was screaming about how Chat Noir broke in and attacked her. Both her legs looked mangled, bro." Adrien flinched. He honestly liked Nathalie. Unfortunately, he just wasn't in a position to show any mercy.

Alya twisted her torso and scanned the crowd. "Adrien, seriously, where are you? Please tell us you're okay."

Adrien smiled. A warm feeling filled his chest at the concern in her voice. "I'm fine, guys. I promise. Just cleaning up a few of my messes. See you later." Below, the couple shared an embrace, Nino burying his head in Alya's shoulder.

Plagg gave him a stern look as Adrien ended the call and leveled his gaze to the window of his father's study. An officer was taking Gabriel's statement in front of the portrait of Emilie. "Kid, this isn't like you. How did you even know that woman was Mayura anyway?"

"Just a process of elimination. Now quiet down before my father hears you." Adrien waved his hand in the Kwami's direction as he keyed in his father's number. The cat let out a huff and crossed his little arms.

Through the windows, Adrien watched as Gabriel held a hand up to silence the officer he was talking to. "Adrien, my gods. Where are you, son? That scoundrel Chat Noir attacked our home and sent Nathalie to the hospital."

Adrien furrowed his brow. "Did she not say anything or are you being coy because there's police on our lawn?"

Plagg zoomed in front of Adrien's face and waved his arms back and forth. He shook his head side to side and bared his teeth. The boy slowly moved the Kwami out of his view with the back of his hand. Gabriel blinked twice and stared at the officer in front of him.

"I don't know what you're talking about Adrien. Where are you?" The man turned away from the officer and started to pace. "Please, son. You weren't in your room. I can't lose you too. Tell me you're okay."

A shuddering breath escaped his lips as Adrien steeled himself. This was a good thing, he just needed to play his cards right. "I'm safe Father, I promise. Some classmates are with me right now. I snuck out when you left to go to your meeting."

The older man removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. Adrien could see him turn to the policeman and nod, straightening his shoulders. "Son, I can't believe I'm saying this. But if Chat Noir was able to get past the security systems here, maybe you should stay with your friends. I don't want to risk him coming here again and have you be his next victim. Be safe."

Adrien held the phone in place for a few moments after his father hung up letting the dial tone drone on. His arm fell to his side, limp. "I don't think he's lying, Plagg. There's no way he would ever suggest I stay away from the estate."

News vans pulled up to the gate, and swarms of reporters from all different stations filed out. His phone vibrated with multiple notifications from news apps. The blonde swore under his breath. If Marinette didn't know about what happened before, she knew now. "Plagg, we gotta bounce. Claws Out!"

Adrien jumped from the roof into the alley behind the building as his transformation took hold. He stuck to the shadows and slowly made his way through the city. Once he felt he was sufficiently far enough away, he scaled the building he was hiding behind and crouched on the roof. His baton vibrated with a logo of a ladybug covering the screen. Chat ignored it. A shape in the darkness on the opposite rooftop made his turn his head. With his night vision, he could see Sentibug walking and having a conversation with Duusu.

Her hood was over her hair, and her hands were in her pockets. If he couldn't see in the dark, he never would have seen her mask or the red and black feet. Chat jumped in front of her from where he was hiding. The baton strapped to his back vibrated again. Sentibug jumped back and raised her fists. Chat held up his hands in surrender. "Woah, Sentibug. It's just me."

"Where did you go?" She slugged him in the shoulder. Chat could feel his arm go numb. "I don't exactly know how to live like a real person."

Chat rubbed the soreness away, staring her in the eyes. "You're just as real as I am. Sentimonster or not, you think of your own free will. Don't think you don't deserve to be alive too."

"We'll agree to disagree." She looked away, "So what was so important you left me all alone for?"

"My father came back earlier than I thought he would." Chat grabbed her sleeve and gave a small tug. "We need to hide, Ladybug keeps calling me. Since I'm not answering she knows I'm transformed. Eventually, she'll try and use her yoyo to track me."

"I thought you and Ladybug were some power couple or something?" Sentibug raised an eyebrow. "What happened to this life is mine?"

Chat scowled. "It does belong to you, but would you rather go alone?"

"Guess that makes sense. Duusu and I were just getting to know one another. I had no plan in mind." Sentibug followed Chat off the roof into the alley below. The blonde muttered and his transformation dropped again. Plagg floated in between them.

"Transform without feeding me again, and see what happens." The Kwami bared his fangs at Adrien.

"Don't worry Plagg, I won't be transforming again tonight if I can help it." Adrien rubbed between the cat's ears. "We're just gonna go to Chloe's and hide out for the night."

Plagg zipped into Adrien's shirt pocket and Sentibug followed him down the street. The two walked side by side. The sweatshirt Adrien gave her was a few sizes too large, so the hood fit over her face perfectly. The mask wasn't visible to anyone as they walked down the street. Most of the walk was spent in silence, Adrien constantly looked above them for any glimpse of Ladybug.

When they arrived at the lobby of the hotel Chloe was already waiting for them. "Adrikins, my darling! I'm so happy you came to see me."

Adrien bit the inside of his cheek and plastered on that model smile everyone loved. "Of course, Chloe. It's been too long." He squared his stance so as not to fall over when the girl jumped on him.

"Chloe, I know you've seen the news. I need a place to stay for tonight." Adrien peeled her off and took a step back. She took a look at Sentibug, the dark-haired girl facing the ground.

"Who's she then?" Chloe asked, eyes trailing up and down Sentibug. Her lips pulled over her teeth like a viper baring its fangs. "I don't want some hussy alone with my Adrikins."

Sentibug let out a laugh. "What, I'm just _some hussy_ to you now, Chloe?" She pulled a black and red hand out from her pocket and lifted her hood just enough to show the other girl the spotted mask. Chloe's eyes widened and she took a step back. Her mouth opened and shut like a fish out of water.

Adrien grabbed Chloe by her shoulders. "Chloe, listen to me. I'm literally begging you. I can't go home right now."

Chloe snapped out of whatever daze she was in. She nodded her head without a word. With a snap of her fingers, the front desk associate was at her side. A hard piercing stare was leveled at Sentibug. "I may not have my miraculous anymore, thanks to you. But I swear on my own life, don't think that will stop me from killing you if he gets hurt under your watch."

Chloe wiped the tears that threatened to fall and walked away, shoulders slumped. Adrien watched her slink away with her tail between her legs, defeated and broken. Everything around the two of them faded to black. Her retreating form reminded Adrien of the times his father would ignore him, or outright refuse to speak to him, due to something Gabriel deemed more important than his son. Adrien's breath hitched—a sudden vision of a would-be world replaced his oldest friend with an image of himself. If their roles were reversed, could Adrien say he wouldn't have succumbed to Hawkmoth's manipulations?

He _couldn't._

"Chloe." Adrien took a deep breath and ran a hand across his brow. "Wait, I need you to come with us." He waved the hotel employee away with a small thanks.

Chloe whirled around and gaped at him. "What did you just say?"

Adrien rolled his eyes and sighed. "Against my better judgment, I still think you need a friend." He wrapped an arm around the two girls, leading them to the elevator. "That doesn't mean I'm not going to give you an earful when we get upstairs, you know. Some shit needs to change."

Sentibug smiled as the Bourgeois girl blushed and stammered. Watching those two talk back and forth left a warm feeling in her chest. Sentimonster or not, she yearned for what they had. A real connection. She could feel Duusu twitching around inside her sweatshirt pocket. She and the Kwami only had about twenty minutes to talk with each other before Chat Noir had come back, but the little purple pixie creature seemed so excited to have a conversation. Sentibug frowned at the thought of how Mayura treated them both. Tools to get what she wanted, before being discarded like an afterthought.

"Hey, back to reality." Adrien's voice derailed her train of thought. "You and I are going to crash in Chloe's room for now."

Sentibug blinked a few times letting Adrien's words register in her mind. "R-Right. That sounds like a plan."

Adrien tilted his head much like a cat. "You okay? You seem distracted at the moment."

Sentibug nodded. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me." She sent a smile his way but dropped it when he turned back to Chloe. It was nice to know Adrien cared, but how long would he? Going behind the _real_ Ladybug's back like this was bound to come with consequences eventually. He had to have some play that only he knew. Sentibug could only guess he also needed her for something. Would he discard her when this was all over?

His arms were still around the two when they arrived at Choe's suite. Adrien let the blonde go so she could let them in. Chloe closed the door behind Adrien and Sentibug. She leaned her back against the door and fiddled with her hands. Her eyes hardened behind her lashes. "You gonna hang off her shoulder all night?"

Adrien cracked a wide smile. "If she let me, of course." He brought her closer to his chest, wrapping his other arm around her. The Sentimonster closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against his chest. His scent filled her nose. Part of her wanted to believe him, but the rest of her physically pushed him away. She stepped back from him and sat on Chloe's bed.

"Sorry, you already have a superhero girlfriend, who you've been ignoring all night." She looked him in the eyes. Adrien laughed as Chloe's eyes went wide. Adrien twisted his ring on his finger. His eyes gained a faraway look as if someone else was standing in the room with them.

"My Lady and I aren't together, despite the rumors people say." Adrien slid his hands in his pockets. "I may know both of her, but she only knows one of me."

"What are you talking about, Adrikins?" Chloe stepped in between him and Sentibug. "Both of who? What's that supposed to mean?"

Sentibug locked eyes with the model. "It means he knows who the real Ladybug is." Chloe spun and looked at Sentibug. The pigtailed girl gave a small shrug. "Our bad for lying, I'm just a Sentimonster made by Mayura. A fake copy of the real thing."

"Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!"

"Sorry Chloe, I really do need a place to stay. Mayura is out of the picture." Adrien's shoulders fell. He sat on the bed a small distance away. "I told you before, Sentibug. You're more than just a copy."

"I know, but I'm still new to this whole _existing_ thing." Sentibug stared at her hands as she opened and closed her fists a few times. "I wasn't around for this long last time. Mayura made me and immediately threw me to her master plan. Not having someone give me orders is a strange feeling."

"Do I even want to know how you figured out who Ladybug is?" Chloe sat on her bed and hugged one of the big, fluffy pillows. She took a deep breath from her diaphragm, letting out with a shudder. Her teeth dug into her bottom lip, staring at the two sitting in front of her. "Adrien, if you called her 'My Lady' does that mean..."

Silence hung in the air, thick and suffocating. No one moved a muscle as the implication of her question hung in the air. Chloe's eyes darted between her old friend and the girl who admitted to being one the _things_ that Mayura and Hawkmoth sent out to attack Paris day after day. Mayura, who's suddenly 'out of the picture' the same day Chat Noir attacked Nathalie. _Please, Adrien, don't let me be right. _Chloe thought. _Please._

Her fellow blonde let out a sigh, standing up and stretching his back with a groan. Adrien cursed under his breath. He rested his hands on his hips and bowed his head. Chloe couldn't see his face, but she could feel something about him change. Something dark twisted her stomach into knots. Time slowed, Adrien turned and glared into her eyes. Her whole body froze. Every hair on her neck stood on their ends, goosebumps shooting down her arms. She wasn't making eye contact with her childhood friend anymore.

She was locking eyes with a _monster._


	4. Chapter 4

Sentibug watched the color drain from Chloe's face. The blonde gripped the pillow in her hands with white knuckles as her eyes widened. The proud facade that was Chloe Bourgeois withered and turned to dust under the weight of Adrien's glare. Sentibug watched in mild amusement as Hawkmoth's most recent pawn was reduced to a scared little girl.

Chloe started to shake in her seat, shrinking into the headboard as small as she could make herself. A whimper escaped her lips, and she buried her head into the pillow. As fast as the glare came, Adrien let out a breath through his nose and averted his eyes, and the pressure in the air released.

Chloe gasped and stumbled out of bed and down the few stairs next to it. She crossed the room to kneel at the sofa and leaned her arms against it, gasping for air. Adrien and Sentibug peered across the room at her. Adrien crossed the room and put a hand on Chloe's shoulder. "Chloe, talk to me." Chloe shook her head rapidly, sending her ponytail side to side.

Sentibug stood and shifted her weight from one to the other, scanning the room with a glance. If Chloe didn't calm down soon, Hawkmoth might send an Akuma to take revenge on Chat Noir. While she had faith in her abilities to fight one off, Sentibug didn't know how she would feel if the real Ladybug happened to respond to it.

Adrien shook Chloe's shoulders, and the girl blinked as her eyes came back into focus. She looked at him and weakly batted away his hands. She stood and wobbled on her legs like she was walking for the first time again. Chloe took a deep breath and exhaled slowly with her eyes closed. "I'm fine, Adrien."

Sentibug and Adrien shared a look. It was obvious Chloe was putting on a brave face. Both snapped their attention to the girl at the sound of her foot stomping on the floor. "Ridiculous," She let out a breath and slammed her foot on the ground a second time. "Utterly _ridiculous!"_ She leveled her gaze at Adrien.

"What's ridiculous?" Adrien tilted his head to the side.

"I've punched supervillains in the face," Chloe growled out. "Yet here I am getting scared by the resident cinnamon roll, Chat Noir, of all people. You almost had me fooled for a second there. Hero or not, you're still the same sunshine boy I've always known."

"Thanks, I guess?" Adrien laughed and scratched his cheek. "Look, I don't suppose you're willing to have that conversation I mentioned downstairs?"

Chloe huffed and turned her nose in the air as she walked around the sofa and sat down. "Only because you're my friend. Don't think I would take this treatment from just anyone."

"You aren't at all concerned that I'm Chat Noir?" Adrien asked, crossing his arms and leaning against the glass door of the balcony. "The news is broadcasting how I just mauled my father's secretary."

Chloe shrugged. "Admittedly, I was caught off guard before. You actually looked like you wanted to hit me. Not exactly the normal look in your eyes, Adrikins." Chloe crossed one leg over the other and leaned back into the sofa. Sentibug kept her hands in her hoodie's pocket and crossed the room to look out a window.

"If we're being honest, we wouldn't be sitting here if I wanted to hurt you." Adrien chuckled. "Look, we _need_ to have this conversation. What happened last week was too far, even for you."

Chloe raised her brow, manicured nails tapping on her chin. "What happened last week, Adrikins?"

Adrien blinked, and his jaw hung loosely. "You have no idea what I'm talking about?" Chloe shook her head and shrugged. Adrien rubbed his temples. "I love you, Chloe. You're my oldest friend, but you're selfish, arrogant, and only do things for yourself."

Chloe sprung to her feet. Her voice raised an octave. "Excuse me; I was an amazing superhero." A glare from Adrien sent her withering back into the sofa.

"No, _Queen Bee_ was an amazing superhero. And that was only because the world knew Chloe Bourgeois was under the mask." Sentibug crept across the room to stand behind Chloe's spot on the sofa. "You had no incentive to help unless it was to fuel your ego."

Chloe opened her mouth, but another glare and a raised finger from Adrien kept her quiet. "If Ladybug never dropped the box that day, would Chloe have ever done half of what Queen Bee has done?" Adrien stepped closer to the blonde. "Or would she continue to terrorize Paris and her classmates as Hawkmoth's _pawn?"_ Adrien grabbed Chloe's collar, pulling her to her feet and glaring into her eyes. Despite the defiant glare on her face, Chloe's knees wobbled like a metronome. Her hands grasped at Adrien's wrists.

"Is this how it's going to go? Is Chat Noir going to break me too?"

Sentibug turned from the window and strode over to stand close to the pair. Her eyes flickered between Adrien and his captive.

"Don't tempt me, Chloe. Someone should have disciplined you a long time ago." His grip tightened. "Long before you ruined Ladybug's life."

Chloe narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about? I haven't done anything to Ladybug."

"Maybe not directly." Adrien grit his teeth and pulled her closer, their noses almost touching. Sentibug readied her yoyo and held her breath. "But if it wasn't for Miracle Queen making us fight the temporary Miraculous users, we could have gotten Master Fu out of Hawkmoth's grasp."

Chloe moved her head back and pivoted her feet. "Maybe Ladybug should have just given me the Miraculous in the first place. I wouldn't have needed Hawkmoth's help."

Adrien let a guttural growl and shoved her onto the sofa. "You don't deserve it!" His voice shook the room. Chloe curled into a fetal position and raised her arms in a cross over her face. Sentibug stepped forward and held her yoyo out to her side, fingers tight like a vice. "I told her she needed to tell you instead of letting it go unsaid. I'm sorry she didn't take my words to heart."

Sentibug took a step forward and placed her free hand on Adrien's chest. "Why don't you back up and take a breath. Chloe is supposed to be your friend, last I checked." Adrien looked down at his Miraculous, tracing the circle indentation with his thumb, taking a step back.

"Master Fu made Ladybug the guardian." Adrien glared at a spot on the floor. "He doomed her the moment he did that."

"Because if she ever stops being the guardian, she'll lose her memories too." Sentibug reached down and brought Chloe to stand by her arm. "And these last few months would be just a blur in her mind."

"That's what that old guy did to get the Miraculous off of me?" Chloe blanched and brought a hand to her mouth. "How cruel…"

Adrien ground his palms into his eyes and expelled a shuddering breath through his nose. He spun on his heel and burst through the doors leading to Chloe's terrace. His knuckles turned white, gripping the railing overlooking Paris with long-suppressed anger.

Sentibug followed him outside and leaned next to Adrien with her arms crossed. She took a moment to study his face. His eyes were shut, and he seemed to be trying to calm himself down desperately. She bumped her elbow into his side, making him jump. She grinned. "Hey, it's okay. You two have gotten this far already. You'll figure it out."

"Thanks, Sentibug." Adrien smiled back and returned the gesture. "It means a lot. You're amazing."

"You're just saying that because you love Ladybug." Sentibug rolled her eyes and pushed away from the railing. She turned and walked towards where Chloe had followed them outside. She looped an arm around the blonde's shoulder. "Besides, we've gotten off track enough. I believe we never finished yelling at this one."

Chloe scoffed and stepped out of Sentibug's embrace. "Look, I didn't exactly have much choice in the matter. Hawkmoth was standing in front of me, and I had no Miraculous to fight him off."

Adrien glanced at Sentibug. "We'll be getting back to that later, but you have a point." He looked Chloe in the eye. "You always have a choice, Chloe."

"Yeah, but I was angry, and he was offering me everything I wanted." Chloe sighed. "Plus, I used it as an opportunity to get my parents back to normal."

Adrien chuckled. "Yeah, Dad's good like that. People will jump through hoops if their desires are handed to them." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Just look at me, I put up with everything so that I can go to school like a normal teenager."

Chloe shrugged. "He said everything I needed to…" Her shoulders slumped, and the color drained from her face for the second time that night. "Wait, did you say 'dad' just now?"

"Yeah, why?" Adrien tilted his head to the side. Sentibug groaned and put a hand over her eyes.

"Adrien, you just told her Gabriel is Hawkmoth." She grumbled. Chloe let out a breath. "Did you think to ease her into that one?"

The blonde shrugged his shoulders and hoisted himself to sit on the railing behind him. "I mean, she needs to know for what's coming either way."

Chloe snapped back to reality, blinking rapidly. She darted her eyes back and forth between the two in front of her. "Wait, what's coming?"

"Your retribution, of course," Adrien smirked and kicked his feet like a child on the swing. "You threw a tantrum like a child, and now Ladybug is forced into a role she didn't fully understand. Now you're going to help me make her life easier."

"How was I supposed to know the old man had magic memory powers?" She threw her arms in the air.

Sentibug laughed. "Too bad, it happened anyway. When she passes the torch, she'll lose her entire memory of the Miraculous, him, and her time as Ladybug."

Adrien nodded. "Exactly. Every experience that made Ladybug a better person would be erased from her mind, and there's no telling what that will do to her." Adrien scratched his chin for a moment before shuddering. "I don't know what kind of person she was before I met her, but watching her grow as Ladybug has been an amazing experience for me. The thought that she might lose it all is almost too much for me to bear, and I'm not even the one forced to do it."

Chloe stepped forward and put her hands in front of her. "Come on, what can I do? It's not like me knowing who Hawkmoth is can change anything."

"Trust me; you'll be doing plenty." Adrien jumped down and put his hands on Chloe's shoulders. "Look, I can walk away and live my life, she's shackled to this for the rest of hers. But I'm not leaving her behind, and I'll be damned if you think you're getting off scot-free. Once we finish Hawkmoth, she's never going to need to transform again."

Sentibug's eyes took in the skyline of a night-time Paris. "What's the plan then?"

"Yeah," Chloe crossed her arms. "Are we just going to jump Gabriel when his back is turned?"

Adrien laughed and shook his head. "No, I can't fight him one on one. He's been stronger than me in the last few times we've fought, and with five of us, we barely pushed him back on Heroes Day. We need an actual plan."

"What about Ladybug? This whole event was broadcasted all over the news." Chloe asked. "She had to have seen it. I'm sure she's looking for you."

"That's the thing," Adrien rubbed his neck. "I kind of need to avoid her."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Isn't avoiding her going to make her worry about you actually assaulting an innocent civilian?"

Adrien looped his arms around the two girls. "Maybe. But that goes against my master plan."

Sentibug rolled her eyes and bumped her head against his shoulder. "What would that be, oh, great mastermind?"

Adrien grinned and ran forward, spinning on his heels in front of them and holding his arms wide. "We're going to steal her Miraculous, of course!"


End file.
